We're going to be in the book
of 2 John today. read through this. We're going
to read it here together, but there are 13 verses here. It's
pretty short in that regard, but there are a number of things
in here that we're going to take a look at. A lot of the commentaries
I looked at and their thoughts on it and what they could like
that they could bring to it, most of them broke it up in two
lessons. the first six verses and the
last seven verses. I think there's a little bit
more meat on there than, we may take a little longer than some
of the commentaries did, but we will see as time goes by. So let's just start with, let's
read the 13 verses of the book of 2 John. It says, the elder
unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and
not only I only, but also all they that have known the truth.
For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Grace be with you, mercy and
peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of the Father in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that
I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received
a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady,
not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we
had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this
is love that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment
that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk
in it. For many deceivers are entered
into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose
not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive
a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,
receive him not into your house, neither bid him God's speed.
For he that biddeth him God's speed is partaker of his evil
deeds. Having many things to write unto
you I would not with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto
you and speak face to face that our joy may be full. The children
of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. There are several things that
I think we will, over the next few lessons, take a look at in
here that I think we have to take a look at a few
things here. In the first four verses, a couple
things. The word truth is used five times
in the four verses, and it is used in connection with love
a couple of the times. And we're going to call this
lesson today, Love in the Truth. And he starts out and says that,
unto the elect lady, it says, and her children, whom I love
in the truth. And not only I, but also all they that have known
the truth. In verse two, for the truth's
sake, which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. And
we're going to look at some thoughts in the first verse this morning.
We're going to see in 2 John very similar subjects and a very
familiar style or themes that come out as we did in 1 John.
In 1 John, there's a lot that deals with love and with truth,
and those two connected together, and who is the truth, the true
truth, and we're going to address that. Manner is very similar
by John in the gospel of John and as well as we've seen in
1 John. We're going to see, like I say,
some similar things in these. Very similar passages. I'd like
to read a couple of passages from 1 John and 2 John to see
how these are similar. In 1 John 2, And these thoughts and things
will come out again in 2 John. In 1 John 2, verses 7 and 8 say,
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment,
which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word
which you have heard from the beginning. Again a new commandment
I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you, because
the darkness is passed and the true light now shineth." And
he mentions that in 2 John also that what he's going to speak about
is not a new thought and not a new commandment or a new thing that the Scripture brings
out, but it says, that you have heard from the beginning. And
we're going to mention those things. And that the truth, and
here it talks about the truth and light, and our Savior is
that, is the truth and is the light. And he's not just speaking
here, and in 2 John also, not just talking about the light
that you came to some good teaching or good idea from it, but the
true light and the revelation of our Lord Himself to His people. And then in chapter 3, another
verse that's very similar in language and that carries on
from 1 John to 2. And verse 23 of 1 John 3, and
this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name
of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us
commandment. And there's some other places
that we have in the scripture that speak about be holy as he
is holy. And walk as he walks with the
same, as the Lord walked with the same frame of mind. And we
looked at a verse last week in, I think in Lauren's lesson that
spoke to, the Lord Himself not thinking at robbery, or to be
equal with God. That passage through there, and
that frame of being, that frame of what He was like in the flesh,
that He was, it was pointed out, probably the humblest, if not,
it probably was the humblest of persons as far as in the flesh.
And that mind and that thought is part and parcel what he speaks
about here of love and the truth of each other as we'll see love
one another. But here also in 23, what it
says that we should believe on the name of his son and love
one another as he gave commandment. And he touches on that here in
the first section of the first part of 2 John. We're going to
mostly stick to the first verse today, but the very similar thoughts
about those things, about the love of the brethren comes out,
the love of the truth comes out with a capital T, the Lord himself,
and of what that means and how he refers that to the Lord and
to his people. This address to a particular
certain woman and her children, if this, there's some thought
that it is speaking about another church, sister church and members
there. But what I can gather from it,
from other commentators on it, several of them that I think,
are pretty solid. It's addressed to a particular
woman. And it's addressed to a particular certain woman and
her children. And in fact, the last verse of
2 John, read verse 13 again, says, The children of thy elect
sister greet thee. Amen. And it's supposed that
this woman had a sister that lived in Ephesus, or the area
where they think John lived at this time, and that her children
were in that area. And so he's passing on the greeting
of those people. I don't see where if you thought
that this was a sister church of believers and those children,
speaking to it as we send greeting to other churches there in Jacksonville
or wherever, we consider ourselves sister churches to those that
preach and believe the gospel. So I don't think you do harm
if you take the other view of that. I wouldn't fault that. There are many other women in
the Scripture that are singled out, and we've got record of
a lot of them, that the Lord Himself interacted with several
women. The woman at the well, the woman
with the issue of blood, Mary and Martha, and then we have
accounts of of Ruth, Esther, and here about Timothy of Lois
and Eunice. Those women were singled out
by name as being godly women and by their evidence of their
life and what people knew of them. Like I say, if it's to a particular
woman, I have no problem with that one way or the other. I
don't think that that changes what is being said here. I think it does speak, as all
of the Scripture does indeed speak to all of God's people. Their book is given for our benefit,
for our good, and for our admonition, learning, and teaching of the
Spirit about the Savior. And that's the point and the
purpose of the Scriptures that we have, and that's going to
be There's no book in the scripture that doesn't apply to us or doesn't
address us. We may not see directly how some
of those places do directly speak to us unless the Lord shows us,
but all of us have love of the truth in Christ, and so the love
of all the fellow sons and daughters of God are going to be brought
into this. I don't see this. It's not a
personal letter to this woman that has, you know, an inside
letter that has nothing to say to us. I think it is speaking
to all of God's people. He also, he starts out the elder
to the elect lady and her children It's believed that this book
was written after he got out of isolation there, and after
he wrote the book of Revelation was given to him, that he was
probably living in Ephesus, and also that he had, at this time,
had outlived all the other apostles, and he was, they figure he's
about 100 years old, which in those days, that would be a pretty
good reason to call yourself an elder. in that regard. 100
years old back then was old. It was a ripe old age. And indeed, he called himself
that. I don't think he was using that
to set himself higher than anybody. I don't think he had his thumbs
in his vest as he said that or with that attitude about it.
But that, I think it's a term that could
either be regarded as referring to his age or as his position
as one of those that, as he said in the first stunt that he had, had first-hand knowledge and
spiritual knowledge of the Lord and his position or office as
an overseer or one of the church at large, as he viewed himself,
and the position that God had given him. Either, I think, either
thought would be appropriate to that, what he's saying about
being an elder. He obviously had seen a lot. The Lord had showed him a lot,
but he had seen a lot in his lifetime and was indeed one of
the elders at that time in the church. We do know that this
lady addressed is one of the elect of God, chosen by the grace
of God to eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ. either as
a church body or as an individual. It still, like I say, would apply
to that. And I'd like to, along with that
thought, I'd like to look at several passages. In Ephesians
chapter 1, And this is what he is saying
and referring to about the elect lady. Ephesians 1, verses 4 and
5 say, According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
And I think by that word, elect, that's That's what he's referring
to, this woman is in that body, this church is in that body,
that has been a predestined, it said, unto the adoption of
children to himself. And then in 1 Thessalonians, in the book of 1 Thessalonians,
in chapter one, again in 1 Thessalonians 1, again speaking to the elect lady,
that it says, 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 3 and 4 say, Remembering
without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love, and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of
God and our Father, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election
of God." And this, again, stating who he's speaking to, not just
religious folks, but those who have been given eternal life
by our Lord. And we're going to look at another
couple of passages. But this is who He's speaking
to when He means the elect, or those children of God, as He's
speaking to ones that are in that standing. And in 2 Thessalonians,
in chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 2, starting with
verse 13, it says, But we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
chosen, hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, wherein
He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, speaking to those that
had, the gospel had come to them, and not in word only, but in
the power of the Spirit, of the Holy Spirit, that it says, And the last thought of it, through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, not
just religious thoughts or religious standing, but belief of the truth.
And again, that truth isn't often capitalized, but it should be,
because that's who it's speaking of, is He who is the truth, and
standing in Him. And as it gets, well, we get
a little farther on, it'll be some time, I think, before we're
in that piece in 2 John, but it speaks about those that come
and don't have this, it's not the message they're bringing,
that have nothing to do with them, have, if they, those that,
it's not saying that we have nothing to do with unbelievers,
it's saying we have nothing to do with those that say they preach
the gospel and then The bell is cracked. It does not have
a distinct, clear sound of what the gospel is. And those, it
says, are deceivers, those that are bringing. And we've heard
or known of those that it looked good. It looked good for quite
a while. And I think as Judas was in that group, I think he appeared just like
they did. He went out like they did. Everything appeared, as
far as man could see, that he was one of the group. And I think
that we've known or heard of people that appeared that way
until they get to a certain point, and then the truth they depart
from the truth, and it's very noticeable and stuff. And especially
those that are preachers of the gospel, or any of them that preaching
or teaching of the gospel, and if it does not adhere to the
gospel, There's a problem, and it's not up to individuals to
decide what that truth is. We have that in holding our hands,
and that is what he's speaking about, those that are chosen
in him, that are redeemed in him, and that hold to the truth
in him. And then, back in 1 John, for just a verse,
1 John 2, And like I said, there's a lot
of parallel thoughts from John of-in 1 John and as we-2 John
and in the Gospel of John. There's a lot of parallel thoughts
there. But 1 John 2 and verse... It's verse 21. It says, I have
not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because
ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar,
but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist,
that denieth the Father and the Son." But here, it's not written
to you because you know not the truth, but because you know the
truth, and stand in that truth. And that's... the person or the group that
he's addressing this letter to are those that stand in that.
It appears some that this elect lady is a term showing that if
she was an individual, that she was a woman, due respect and
honor and of some position. And like I say, again, that would
not be an inappropriate description of a gospel preaching and believing
church body. that they are due respect and
honor and of some position in God, standing in Him. That's the position. It's not,
well, that church is a little bit above our level because they're
bigger, or they've got so-and-so there, or whatever it is. And
we'll touch on some of that a little later on that goes back to the
last verse of chapter 5 of 1 John that says, keep yourselves from
idols. And we're going to bring that verse back into 2 John when
it speaks about those that don't bring in the gospel and what
that idol may be or can be. But there is some due respect,
and if this was an individual person, it would mean that she
was of She was of some standing in the community or in the church,
at least. Also, elect indicating, as before,
one chosen in Christ. There was evidence of her profession
of faith and her walk in it. And there's, in verse 4 of 2
John, we haven't got to that point as far as in their lessons,
It says in 2 John 4, it says, I rejoice greatly that I found
of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment
from the Father. And one more time, this could
be an individual and her physical children, or a church body and
the members of that body walking according to what the scriptures
say, and in believing, following, and honoring who the Savior is,
who the Lord is himself in those things. Going on in 1 John, that first
verse again a little farther, not only to the elect lady and
her children, he starts out, but then he says, whom I love
in the truth. and whom I love in the truth. And turn to the book of Galatians,
chapter one. Galatians chapter, I'm sorry,
Galatians chapter six. Okay, in Galatians chapter six, In chapter 6 and verse 10, it
says, I have confidence in you through
the, let me get the right chapter, I'm sorry, 610, that says of
Galatians, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto
all men, especially unto them that are of the household of
faith. And speaking like either to this
lady's household or the church household and there, that, as it says here, do good
especially unto them who are of the household of faith. And
again, as we looked in 1 John, and we're gonna see it again
in 2 John, the affinity that the brethren have for each other.
We hear of somebody that somewhere that we have no clue, and we
hear that they're preaching the gospel according to the scriptures,
That's good news. We're glad to hear that. And
there's an affinity there. There's a family resemblance
there, or they better be, according to what God has revealed His
people. And again, in the truth and in
Him that these things be so. In the book of 1 John, one more
time, in chapter 3, chapter 3 of 1 John, in verse 18 says, My little children, let us love
not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And
this is how he views this group or this person that he's writing
this letter to that has seen this woman love and live in the
truth. And again, the truth is that
truth of the Scripture that is our Lord Himself and those things
that have to do with Him and eternal life that He gives His
people. In 1 Timothy, let's turn to 1
Timothy for a minute here. 1 Timothy and a familiar spot to
it, but 1 Timothy 3. Verse 315 of 1 Timothy, it says,
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought to
behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and ground of truth. Now, this is where
all gospel churches have to be and all believers have to be.
As it says here, behave in the house of God, which is the church
of the living God." And then it says, the pillar and ground
of the truth. The church is holding forth the
truth, but he is the pillar and ground of truth. If it's not
ground in him, and as it says, the doctrine of Christ that tells
us who his people are, who he redeemed,
how he redeemed. And as that song we sang at the
beginning, in his precious blood, the standing that his people
have of redemption and the truth of the gospel as it comes out
in the rest of scripture. And that's where we stand and
must stand in. And then it goes on in 2 John,
in that same verse, it goes on and says, and not I only, but
all they that have known the truth." And again here, that
shows that affinity for those, for believers that God has redeemed,
that He has given the new birth to. There's an affinity there. And all, if we hear of those
that preach the truth and stand in the truth, all of they, it
says, who have known the truth, all of God's people will, that's
a good thing. There's a family, not only family
resemblance, but there's a family affinity for each other. The
truth, either the Lord himself, who is the truth, or the gospel,
which is the word of truth. And this will, with a true spiritual
knowledge of God, not just a Many of us can say we knew the
words of the truth before we ever knew the truth. There was
a man we once knew that, there's a man I knew, that family came
to our church camp. He was from Montana, and he had,
if he didn't literally have the scriptures all memorized, it
was close. I don't know how many he didn't
have memorized, but he didn't understand who he was speaking
about. until the Lord opened his eyes sometime later. And
then he knew he had something because the word, it meant something
more than just having it memorized, just for the sake of that. And
having the scripture memorized is not a bad thing. It's a better
thing if you know who it's speaking about. And by God's grace, he
reveals that to his people. but also all they
that have known the truth. In John chapter 14, the book
of John, just a couple of thoughts on this, knowing
they that have known the truth and believe the truth. In John
chapter 14, It says, verse 5 says, he's going away. The Lord's going
to be gone here before long. And it says, Thomas says, verse
5, unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can
we know the way? And Jesus, verse six, says, I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the
Father but by me. If you had known me, you should
have known the Father also. And from henceforth, you know
him and have seen him. And John speaks in 1 John of
that, and that if the Spirit has shown you the Son, then you
know the Father. And the Lord Himself here says,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father but by Me. And that could be several lessons
unto itself, that verse of what it's speaking to. But the Lord
Himself is the only way, He's the only truth, and in Him is
the only life. And that is, where it speaks
of them that have known the truth, that's their standing, and that's
their claim to that. In the book of Romans, chapter
8, In chapter 8, there's an awful
lot about our standing and our confidence in Him and who we
stand in and our situation in Him in chapter 8 and all the
Book of Romans. In the last, in verses 30 and
31, it says, moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also
called. Whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we, verse 31, what
shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? And that's the standing of those
of His own. That's the standing of the sheep
and how they were in that situation. Not of our doing, but of His
doing. In the book of Colossians, and
just a couple more stops here. Colossians chapter 2. Here, speaking also of how we
stand in Him, and it says, verse 12, Colossians 2, buried with him
in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the
dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all your trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out
of the way. nailing it to his cross, and
it goes on and says that he triumphed over every obstacle and every
issue that the church ever had to worry about and will never
have to worry about in him, that those things were done. As he
said himself, it is finished. All this was encompassed when
he said it's finished and all that needed to be done for his
people. in 2 Timothy. We're not very
far from 2 Timothy. In chapter 1 and verse 7, It says, For God hath not given
us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but be thou a
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power
of God. who hath saved us and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. And that's part and parcel of who
he's speaking to, those that can stand in this and do stand
in him. And in back in 2 John for just a second. So we see here in the first verse
of this where he's kind of where he's headed and he's going to
continue somewhat in these thoughts, but to the woman and her children. love in the truth, but also they
that have known the truth." So this is a letter that's given
to God's people. And like I said, whether it's
to an individual and her own family or the church of the true
church of the living God in these different places, the sister
churches. And in the book of Revelation, it speaks similar
type about the different churches and that it's to believers and
those that hold to the truth as delivered. And we're going
to disconnect for now, and we'll pick this up again next time. Thank you.